₦airaland Forum

The Presidency has dismissed claims by the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, that the North has been neglected under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The presidency also stated that several critical projects and programmes are currently underway in the region.

Kwankwaso, during a stakeholders’ dialogue on the 2025 constitutional amendment in Kano on Thursday, warned that national resources are increasingly tilted towards the southern region, resulting in deepening poverty and insecurity across the North.

He lamented the deplorable condition of federal roads in the northern states, recounting how a cancelled flight forced him to travel by road from Abuja to Kano via Kaduna—a journey he described as “hell” due to the bad road conditions.

Reacting via a post on his X handle on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, challenged Kwankwaso’s assertions.

“The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect. The Tinubu administration has initiated and continued several landmark projects in the North, covering roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy,” Dare said.

He outlined major infrastructure, health, energy, and agricultural projects being implemented across Northern states to buttress the government’s commitment.

According to Dare, ongoing projects include the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, among others.

Dare highlighted a $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain programme across nine Northern states and the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe. Other interventions include the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, which aims to restore one million hectares of degraded land.

The presidential aide listed facilities such as Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, among others, as beneficiaries of expansions and new investments. He also noted the revitalisation of about 1,000 primary health centres in the North.

He stated that major road projects include the Kano–Kongolam Road, Kaduna–Jos Road, the Kano–Maiduguri Dual Carriageway, and the rehabilitation of key corridors in Borno and Adamawa states.

On energy, Dare pointed to the ongoing 614 km Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline, the Gwagwalada Power Plant, and planned solar projects in Kaduna. Rail projects include the Kaduna–Kano Rail Line, the Kano–Maradi Rail Line, and the Abuja Metro rehabilitation.

“Northern Nigeria is not left behind. From road networks to gas pipelines, agriculture, health, and rail, this administration has the North well covered,” he stressed.

forgiveness:
Kwankwaso, over to you. What sayest next? Thus ask the government.